Retailers and designers have spent decades dithering over what to call clothing available in bigger sizes. “Chubbies” blessedly died with the 1950s and for now, “plus-size” is the go-to. Largely out of fashion: “Queen size.”

But at one point it was a popular term, and searching Google’s newspaper archives for samples of “Queen size” fashion featured in ads turns up some truly alarming styles from the late 1970s, specifically. The patterns, oh God, the patterns. For instance, here’s a 1979 look advertised in a “Pic n’ Save Drugs” circular that fairly screams “housedress.” And yet it’s very hard to find any actual dresses labelled “queen size.” Just tops that look like cut-down muumuus.

Also from 1979, this polyester tent is giving me vicarious heatstroke.

1977. I see the “shirt that looks great in advertisements but you know’s gonna be iffy as hell once you get it home” is not a new plus-size shopping experience.

What’s funny about this 1980 ad is how much those tops resemble what many retailers are still peddling to plus-size women today. (You see that bit about the “hard to fit” figure pop up several times in these ads.)